Rally today in Jersey City will oppose legislation that would have state pay private school tuition for low-income students

Public school advocates are rallying in Jersey City today to defeat state bills that would allow the state Department of Education to pay private school tuition fees for some low-income students.

The rally is being held at 3:30 p.m. at Franklin L. Williams Middle School, 222 Laidlaw Ave.

A coalition of more than 15 organizations are scheduled to participate, including the ACLU of New Jersey, the New Jersey NAACP, the Latino Institute, and the Statewide Parents Advocacy Network.

Bills introduced in the state Legislature in June 2010 would allow low-income parents who live in areas with “chronically failing” public schools to receive vouchers that could be used to pay private school tuition fees.

The bills have passed in committees in both houses and will now go before the full Senate and Assembly, officials said.

Opponents of the effort say vouchers would divert funding from public schools, which they say are more accountable than private or parochial schools.

Advocates for the bills say it’s one of the ways to provide poor students a decent education.